There is a growing body of information that viruses play a vital role in a broad range of diseases, some of which represent the most serious of man's ills. Arthritis, juvenile arthritis, diabetes, Hodgkin's disease and various immunological diseases and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system have been linked to viruses as the causative agents.
At present, the control of virus infections is primarily achieved by means of immunization vaccines. For example, poliomyelitis, smallpox, measles and influenza are well recognized diseases in which viral vaccines have proven effective. In general, however, viral vaccines have had only a moderate success in animal prophylaxis. Each vaccine acts primarily against a specific virus and is not heterophilic in the protection it offers. Hence, vaccines have not provided a practical solution against the wide array of infectious viruses, even when limited as for example, solely to respiratory viruses.
One approach to the control of virus-related diseases and, particularly to the spread of such virus diseases, has been to search for medicinal agents or chemotherapeutic agents which are capable of inhibiting the growth of viruses, thereby preventing the spread of disease as well as preventing further damage to cells and tissues of the animal host which have not as yet been infected. Heretofore, only a limited number of virus infections such as smallpox, Asian influenza and herpes keratitis have been prevented by chemical antiviral agents. Sulfonamides and antibiotics which have revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections have substantially no effect upon virus infections. Certain infections caused by large viruses, such as lymphogranuloma venereum, psittacosis and trachoma have been successfully treated using antibiotics and sulfa drugs. However, the majority of infections have not been responsive to attack by chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, it can be seen that there is a need for new chemotherapeutic agents which are effective against a broad range of virus diseases, and which at the same time, are non-toxic to the host.
As a result of a long series of investigations, applicants have discovered a novel class of 1,5 and 1,8-bis-basic ketones of anthracene which are particularly useful as antiviral agents. These compounds are effective against a wide spectrum of virus infections and are useful in treating such infections both prophylactically and therapeutically. Copending application, Ser. No. 23,468, filed Mar. 27, 1970, whose counterpart has been published as Belgium Pat. No. 764,870, represents the closest art known to applicants and discloses ketones of fluorene useful as antiviral agents. The bis-basic ketones of the present invention, however, are derived from a totally different and non-related 6,6,6 membered, fully aromatic, anthracene ring system, which bears little, if any, relationship to the 6,5,6 membered fluorene ring system.
To applicants' knowledge the compounds described and claimed herein are novel compounds which have not previously been described nor reported in the literature. The instant compounds possess a wide spectrum of antiviral activity in varying degrees which could not have been predicted from a knowledge of the present state of the art.